Building owners: Rooftop anchorage

When work is to be carried out on the roof edge without a guardrail or on the face of a building over 3 metres (10 ft) above grade, it is the responsibility of the building owner to ensure that suitable anchorage is available for the installation of suspension and tieback lines and a fall restraint or fall arrest system, as required.

The building may have adequate anchorage points on the roof, such as a mechanical room, parapet walls, or other structures of sufficient strength. Anchorage points must be appropriately situated and meet the load requirements of 22 kN (5,000 lb).

Anchorage: A fixed support to which the anchorage connector is connected. An anchorage is generally a structural member - a beam, girder, column, etc. - or a fabricated anchor attached to a floor, roof, or wall.

If the building does not have any suitable and properly positioned points of anchorage on the roof, then fabricated anchors may need to be installed.

All permanent anchors must be certified in writing by a professional engineer as having the required load capacity. Anchors must comply with CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z91-M90 for window cleaning.

Anchors must be inspected by a qualified person before use on each workshift.

Note: Independent of WorkSafeBC requirements, the manufacturer or a professional engineer may specify annual inspection of permanent anchors to ensure that the integrity of the anchorage/anchors is maintained.

The following is a list of potential hazards and concerns that building owners may need to pass on to the contractor:

• High-voltage lines in close proximity
• Energized electrical equipment requiring lockout
• Contamination from exhaust, leaks, or any other source
• Vehicle and pedestrian traffic
• Fragile roof, cornices, parapets, balcony railing, or any suspected deficiencies in the building structure that could pose a hazard
• Cellphone antennas and microwave or any other electronic equipment that could pose a hazard on the roof or could disrupt service

When using contractors, the building owner must comply with section 119 of the Workers Compensation Act.

When the building owner directly employs the workers, the owner must also comply with sections 11.3 and 11.4 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.

For further information on the owner's responsibilities as a contractor, see the WorkSafe bulletin 02-03, "Exterior building contractors: Rooftop anchors."

This bulletin has been produced with the co-operation of the Exterior Building Contractors Association EBCA (BC).